The tortilla factory in Nuevo Laredo, northern Mexico, replaced the standard packaging on its tortillas with red and white wrapping bearing the words ‘break the silence’ - the slogan that encourages women to speak out against forms of violence.
The 10,000 tortilla wrappers were printed by Inmujer, the Nuevo Laredo municipal branch of the National Institute for Women, and showed telephone helplines and addresses of support centers where women can seek help.
“Silence is lethal in the mistreatment of women. Dare, be brave and denounce,” says the text of the wrapper on the side of each package of tortillas, Reuters reported.
Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day last Saturday (March 8), the packaging will be used all month.
According to recent statistics published INEGI, the country’s National System of Statistical and Geographical Information, over 66% of women aged over 15 have experienced some kind of violent abuse in their lifetimes. In 2018, Mexico recorded the deaths of 3,752 women - the highest on record since 1990 – and equivalent to an average of 10 murders every day.
Filadelfo Medellin, representative of the Union of Tortilla Producers said the initiative was a good way to raise awareness of femicide and domestic violence in Mexico. “As manufacturers of tortillas, we were in the best position to spread the word about where [victims of violence] can seek help.”
Tortillas are a staple part of the Mexican diet, eaten daily.
A government survey conducted in 2017 that questioned over 860 individuals found that 98.6% ate white or yellow corn tortillas and 70% said they ate them every day of the week.
A majority of respondents (35%) said the main reason for eating tortillas was they liked the taste, followed by 19% saying tortillas accompanied food well. Eighteen percent cited tradition or habit and 17.8% the nutritional value.